Outcry over delayed musician payments as industry claims structural issues

They say it's part of an industry-wide problem in Canberra, with dozens of musicians coming forward with reports of late or unpaid invoices from venues in the capital.

Guitarist and singer Ben Lanyon said he was never paid for a two-hour set at a bar in Canberra in 2022.

He didn't receive a response to the $200 invoice he sent through, nor the three emails or the in-person visit that followed.

Mr Lanyon told The Canberra Times being paid for gigs is a big issue for musicians in the ACT.

"You feel like you aren't really in a position to be bargaining as a musician, you feel like there's a big power differential. You're there because you like music and you like playing for people," he said.

"There's not really a union you can go to that can back you up.

"It's not uncommon, unfortunately."

Industry advocates say it's a structural problem in the sector and more than just a couple of musicians not being paid.

The cost-of-living crisis means fewer people going out, reduced spending at venues and less money to pay musicians, Dave Caffrey of Music ACT said.

"My understanding is that anyone booking music in Canberra expects to be paying them," the president said.

"But I think there are cash flow issues for a lot of the businesses and it means that they literally can't pay the people that they need to."

Mr Caffrey said the industry's dependence on alcohol sales has also left it vulnerable as people rein in on their spending.

Singer and DJ Sophie Edwards, who spoke up about delayed payments from Civic bar Blackbird, said she had received dozens of messages from musicians who hadn't been paid by Canberra venues.

More than 40 performers responded to her Instagram post saying they had issues being paid by Canberra venues.

Several said they were owed thousands of dollars, with invoices dating back to March 2023.

It's a systemic issue in the industry, the singer said.

"Venues are assuming this isn't our livelihood and can pay us whenever they feel like it, despite paying all the other staff that work the same night on a regular basis," she said.

Ten years gigging around Canberra has taught musician Jessica Horton that while most bars and clubs pay on time, there are a select few who do not.

She's still waiting to be paid for an invoice from March 2023, after sending multiple emails and contacting the venue on social media.

"I do feel for venues that are struggling because we want to encourage venues to have live music, particularly in Canberra where we don't necessarily have the same population or size as Sydney or Melbourne," she said.

"But as musicians, it's not really a secret that our livelihood can sometimes be a bit few and far between and really inconsistent."

A Canberra DJ who asked to remain anonymous said she once had to wait 70 days to be paid by a Canberra venue.

"I have cried over it, I've yelled about it. You don't really feel respected," she said.

However she said the problem is chronic in the music industry, with venues having all the power.

"It's unfortunately one of those things where you feel like you can't really talk about it because other venues might not book you if you're kind of speaking out about this kind of thing," she said.